AS a representative of young people in Scotland at a time when the majority of young people and Scotland as a whole voted to remain in the EU the referendum result has been difficult to comprehend.
Brexit flies in the face of the values that our education system prides itself on – our universities and colleges celebrate collaboration, promote openness, and remain outward focussed.
These are the same values that attract some of the brightest students from around the world come to Scotland, enriching their own experience while bring a diversity that only serves to enhance our education system and nowhere in the world is it easier to do this than within the EU.
At the last estimate there were well over 20,000 EU students studying at Scotland’s universities and hundreds more at our colleges.
These students, like all international students, make a huge contribution to our education system, but they don’t live in silos. Their impact spreads beyond the lecture theatre because they are members of our communities, they work in our shops, bars, and businesses while they study, and stay after gradation to continue contributing to the country they’ve grown to call home.
It’s estimated that the economic impact EU students have is measured in the millions of pounds and thousands of jobs are created every year by the number of EU students coming to Scotland.
Simply put, any drop in the number of EU students coming to Scotland as a result of Brexit isn’t just a loss for those students, or to our education system, it’s a loss to all of us.
It’s also important that we don’t overlook the potential impact that Brexit could have on the opportunities available to Scottish students who can currently study just as easily in Austria as they can in Aberdeen thanks to the EU-backed Erasmus exchange scheme. Some 1,600 Scottish students took part in Erasmus last year allowing them to spend a term, or even a full year, studying abroad.
Erasmus, underpinned by the EU values of collaboration and freedom of movement, provides funding and support that make these benefits accessible to students who might otherwise be shut out of such an opportunity. It’s hard to see what could replace the work that Erasmus does on promoting and incentivising exchange programmes in the same way without this becoming an optional extra.
All of this, though, is now at risk. In the aftermath of the EU referendum and the debate around soft and hard Brexit, a cloud of uncertainty is hanging over the future mobility of students between the UK and Europe.
The UK and Scottish Governments have reacted, offering assurances to students starting this year and next that their student status and funding won’t be affected.
However, given the huge choice that studying abroad can be, it’s not sustainable to expect students to wait for new assurances each academic year, and if politicians are serious about protecting the huge benefits the EU brings to our education system we need to see long term guarantees being made as a matter of urgency.
In particular, there’s little excuse for the UK Government to drag their heels in negotiating membership of Erasmus. While the two share common values and policies, like the freedom of movement, EU membership is not a prerequisite to Erasmus membership - in fact Turkey is one of the most active outwardly mobile Erasmus members, while Norway ranks as one of the most popular destinations on the scheme.
Equally, for all its good, Erasmus isn’t perfect – and if nothing else good comes of this entire process, there is now an opportunity we must grasp to bring down the barriers that prevent too many students experiencing student life in another country.
Students like those with caring responsibilities, or those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who simply don’t have the means or the ability to give up six months to a year of their lives to move abroad.
These students still deserve the opportunity to share in other cultures and experiences, and the chance to develop Erasmus means the chance to ensure it’s open, inclusive, and diverse for all students.
Without a doubt, Brexit is going to change in our relationship with the rest of Europe, but instead of a threat we should seize this opportunity to make a bold statement, and change the system for the better.
Vonnie Sandlan, NUS Scotland president
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